This invention relates to a container with a bag dispenser.
Containers have become extremely common for a variety of uses. For example, containers are used for storage, shipping, display, dispensing, packaging as well as numerous other purposes. Containers exist in different sizes, shapes and colors. Containers are used in almost every industry for a variety of purposes.
Like containers, bags have also become extremely common for a variety of uses. Bags are used to store food, sell products, carry goods, collect trash, assist in medicine as well as other numerous uses. Bags can be paper, plastic or other suitable material. Bags also can be found in different sizes, shapes and colors.
With the above in mind, it is important to consider relevant art involving bags and containers. Bags and containers have been used for a variety of purposes. The following is a review of relevant art which involves containers, bags and bag dispensers.
Verner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,457,107, discloses a dispensing container adapted for use in dispensing gummed paper. The dispensing container is constructed from a single sheet of material. It is arranged to allow the gummed paper to be readily dispensed from the container. Christie, U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,405, discloses a plastic grocery bag dispensing carton. In particular, the dispensing carton is a disposable dispenser for use with a flexible film bag. These bags can be used by consumers as grocery bags or trash bags. The container supports the comparatively limp bag in an open condition so that the bag is ready to be used, i.e., loaded with grocery contents or trash. The dispensing container can also be used as a shipping container for the bags. It is a corrugated box with a wire clip arranged to double as a support for holding open and upright plastic bags one at a time.
Hoehn, U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,064 discloses a dispensing device for a "bag-in-box" package. This patent is directed towards a packaging system where a bag of flexible material is filled with a liquid product through a corresponding opening. It includes a dispensing device at the opening allowing liquid to be dispensed from the bag in the box. The bag is pulled through the dispensing opening of the dispensing device. The device is capable of firmly clamping the bag such that the bag and its contents can be sealed. The bag is contained within a stiff envelope such as a cardboard box. Most commonly liquids such as wine, fruit juice and edible oils are packaged in this manner.
Other relevant art, Heaps, Jr., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,506 discloses a container for large quantities of fluent material. This disclosure covers a container for shipment of large volumes of liquid materials in a multi-panel construction. A bag is contained within the multi-panel construction.
In addition to the above, other relevant art exists in which bags are enclosed within boxes. Fremow, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,143 discloses a liquid container with an internal bag. The Fremow patent includes tension straps for securing the container to a pallet for shipping. The construction of the container provides an extended discharge spout near the bottom of the bag. Boots, U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,635, discloses a pallet mounted, eight-sided container with internal plastic bag. It includes a sleeve nailed to the pallet and extending upwardly around the bottom of the bag. Beach, Jr., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,567 is an example of a container having multi-laminated walls of polygonal form with an internal bag. Still another example of a container formed of multi-walls from corrugated board with internal bag is Hsu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,860. This container is polygonal in form, mounted on a pallet and has an internal bag. This patent includes a specialized bottom construction for the container and its association with a shipping pallet.
Still other container and bag related constructions include trash containers with disposable bags. Lemongelli et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,507 discloses a trash container with a box of folded disposable liner bags. The trash bag is replaced with a bag from the stored box of folded disposable liner bags at the bottom of the trash can. The disclosure is directed towards a container with a false bottom. The false bottom surrounds an opening through which folded bags are withdrawn. A bag containing box is secured in the false bottom of the trash can. The walls of the trash can contain tabs which retain the box in the false bottom and avoid unwanted removal.
Other dispensers of plastic bags include Cawley, U.S. Pat. No, 5,109,978. This patent discloses a dispensing receptacle for bags in a plastic bag roll. The invention includes a holder for plastic bag ties at one or on both of the sidewalls of the dispenser. The dispenser is mounted to a vertical surface using fasteners or mounted on a horizontal surface. The purpose of the invention is to hold and make available plastic bags for dispensing.
In addition to the above, other relevant art exists regarding plastic bag dispensers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,123 to Yang discloses a garbage can having a box-shaped dispenser as a bottom. The dispenser holds folded trash bags which are dispensed from a top mounted slot. Langet al., U.S. Pat. No, 4,364,490 discloses a trash receptacle having its bottom made out of a box-shaped dispenser. Rolled trash bags are complexly loaded into the dispenser and dispensed out of a top mounted slot. Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,191 discloses flat cardboard that folds into a dispenser for plastic bags. The dispenser contains a top opening for dispensing the bags. The bags have tabs which interact with a tab on the dispenser to aid separation of the bags at the time of dispensing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,486 to Niebaur discloses a plastic bag dispenser shaped similar to a facial tissue box. The dispenser has a trash bag tie holder incorporated into it. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,505 to Battaglia discloses a trash receptacle having its bottom made from a box-shaped dispenser for a spindle roll of trash bags. The bags dispense out of a top mounted slot.